'Cannabis Cures' billboard message in Grass Valley

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Motorists traveling south on Highway 49 will see an unusual message on a billboard to their right as they pass the McKnight/Freeman exit. Americans for Safe Access - Nevada County has leased the space for the next year to promote the message, “Cannabis Cures.”

“We are tired of bureaucratic government propaganda getting in the way of patients’ access to cannabis,” Patricia Smith, chair of the local chapter of Americans for Safe Access, said in a news release.

“It’s time to rip the curtain back and expose the truth - cannabis has the potential to treat or cure many of the worst diseases known to man, but the FDA, the DEA and the NIDA conspire to restrict clinical trials so they can continue to claim that no scientific evidence exists to support medical claims. It’s an insane policy.”

The idea to rent a billboard was born after ASA-NC hosted a screening of the provocative film, “What if Cannabis Cured Cancer” to a standing-room only audience last month at the Odd Fellows Hall in Nevada City, Smith said.

“Response to the film has been overwhelming,” reports Smith. “I get calls every day from someone who has cancer or knows someone who does and they are desperate for information.

“We have a long way to go before cannabis-based medicines are once again the norm, but patient testimonials are pretty compelling and certainly deserve further investigation,” she said.

Americans for Safe Access-NC will continue to host screenings of the film once a month in various locations throughout the County. The next screening is scheduled for noon April 13 at the Truckee-Donner Community Recreation Center located at 8924 Donner Pass Road, Truckee. The screening is free and open to the public.

On another front, the group has been locked in a battle with the Board of Supervisors since they passed their Cannabis Cultivation Ordinance (4-1) in May 2012.

The news release claims that attempts to get the county to mediate a resolution were rejected by the board in a closed door session last month, which has motivated the group to launch an initiative drive to force a special election.

If successful, the group says its initiative would replace the county’s ordinance with one that conforms to state law that establishes a minimum threshold of six mature plants per qualified patient.

“For a county that prides itself on fiscal conservatism, the Board (of Supervisors) keeps choosing the most expensive options for taxpayers,” declared Jeff Lake, legal counsel for ASA-NC. “Lawsuits and special elections are expensive, mediation is cheap.”

The next Board of Supervisors meeting takes place Tuesday at the Eric Rood Center, 950 Maidu Ave., Nevada City. The cultivation ordinance is scheduled for discussion at 10:30 a.m.